Shohamy, E. (2001). The power of tests: A critical perspective on the uses of language tests. London: Longman.[ 详情摘要收藏取消收藏
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摘要：The Power of Tests applies a critical perspective of language tests by examining their uses and consequences in education and society and by viewing tests not as isolated events but rather as embedded in social, educational and political contexts.

摘要：This volume focuses on the social aspects of language testing, including assessment of socially situated language use and societal consequences of language tests. The authors argue that traditional approaches to ensuring social fairness in tests go some way to addressing social concerns, but a broader perspective is necessary to examine the functions of tests on a societal scale.
Considers these issues in relation to language assessment in oral proficiency interviews, and to the assessment of second language pragmatics.
Argues that traditional approaches to ensuring social fairness in tests go some way to addressing social concerns, but a broader perspective is necessary if we are to fully understand the social dimension of language assessment.

摘要：The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) plays a key role in international student access to universities around the world. Although IELTS includes a direct test of writing, it has been suggested that test preparation may hinder international students from acquiring academic literacy skills required for university study. This study investigates the washback of the IELTS Writing test on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) provision.

摘要："Washback" refers to the influence of language testing on teaching and learning. This volume, at the important intersection of language testing and teaching practices, presents theoretical, methodological and practical guidance for current and future washback studies. In the field of language testing, researchers' major interest has traditionally been focused on issues and solving problems inherent in tests in order to increase their reliability and validity. However, the washback effect goes well beyond the test itself to include factors such as curriculum, teacher and learner behaviors inside and outside the classroom, their perceptions of the test and how test scores are used. Only recently have researchers started to empirically investigate the phenomenon of washback. This volume of such research serves two purposes by providing an overview of the complexity of washback and the various contextual factors entangled within testing, teaching and learning; and presenting empirical studies from around the world that offer insights into the effects of washback in specific educational contexts and models of research on which future studies can be based.

摘要：Learner Strategy Use and Performance on Language Tests investigates the relationships between learner strategy use and performance on second language tests. To this effect, it examines the construct validity of two questionnaires, designed within a model of human information processing, that purport to measure testakers' self-reported cognitive and metacognitive strategy use. It then examines the construct validity of the FCE Anchor test, developed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, to measure second language proficiency. It is a useful resource for those interested in understanding the effects of strategy use on performance, for those interested in training students to use strategies in language classrooms and for those interested in using structural equation modelling as an analytic tool for examining the effects of socio-psychological background variables on performance.

摘要：Performance assessment is increasingly important in education and training, with its focus on the ever growing requirement to demonstrate ability in practical communication skills. Yet many fundamental problems in performance based assessment still remain. This book provides a critical examination of the practice and theory behind performance based assessment in the context of second language learning. It also offers the first comprehensive presentation of a new measurement approach - Rasch Measurement, which enables investigation of aspects of performance setting (rater and task characteristics for example) to determine their effect on the scores awarded to candidates and to manage this variability fairly.

摘要：This book is essential reading for anyone interested in evaluating languages for specific purposes (LSP).

Clapham, C. (1996). The development of IELTS: A study of the effect of background knowledge on reading comprehension. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.[ 详情摘要收藏取消收藏
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摘要：This book studies the effect of background knowledge on reading comprehension and investigates the claim from the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) that tertiary level students for whom English is a second language should be given reading proficiency tests in their own academic subject areas. The volume includes a comprehensive overview of recent research into reading, in both a first and second language, an account of the development of the reading subtests for IELTS, a full description of the pilot and main phases of the empirical study, a discussion of the relative importance of language proficiency and background knowledge in reading comprehension, consideration of the study's implications for future test construction and research into reading.

摘要：The book overviews a wide range of vocabulary research methodologies, and offers practical advice on how to carry out valid and reliable research on first and second language vocabulary. It includes a Resources section which outlines the lexical tests, corpora, software, internet sites, and other resources available to vocabulary researchers.

摘要：Over the last 20 years vocabulary research has grown from a Cinderella subject to a position of some importance. Vocabulary is now considered integral to just about every aspect of language knowledge and is a lively and vital area of research and innovation. With this development have come standard and widely-used tests, such as vocabulary size and lexical richness measures, and commonly accepted metaphors, such as the mental lexicon as a web of words. Less widely known outside academic circles, however, is the extensive work on learners' lexis and the utility, reliability and validity of the tests we use to measure and investigate it. This volume brings together contributions from internationally-renowned researchers in this field to explain much of the background to study in this area. It introduces to a wider audience the concerns, the newest approaches and developments in the field of vocabulary research and testing.

摘要：Speaking is a central yet complex area of language acquisition. The assessment of this crucial skill is equally complex. This book takes teachers and language testers through the research on the assessment of speaking as well as through current tests of speaking. The book then guides language testers through the stages of test tasks, rating practices and design.

摘要：This title brings together in one volume a comprehensive account and critical analysis of testing second language speaking. It contains a wealth of examples including task types that are commonly used in speaking tests, approaches to researching speaking tests, and specific methodologies that teachers, students and test developers may use in their own projects. Annotated examples are presented to enhance understanding of practical testing projects.

摘要：This is the first volume to focus on the assessment of second language writing. The collection as a whole provides coverage of all issues in second language writing assessment, starting from the context in which and for which assessment must occur, moving through the aspects of decision-making and design in a writing assessment program, and then considering how the need to evaluate any program on assessment can be carried out. After a discussion of issues of public reporting, an area which will receive increasing attention in the next few years, the volume closes with a discussion of what new issues and answers the future may bring. The book reflects the current belief in direct writing assessment in second language writing assessment. While it is often expected that those working with ESL students will focus on language error, throughout the book themes of needs, attitudes, ideas and content dominate. For second language writers the use of written language to learn, to create knowledge and to share ideas and beliefs are vitally important. Additionally, issues of cross-cultural academic literacy, practical information on criteria and scoring models for use with ESL writers, and research on the efficacy and effects of various assessment models are provided. The book blends theory and practice in a way which offers all those who are concerned with the writing skills of nonnative users of English an invaluable resource.

摘要：The assessment of language learners is having a growing impact in English language teaching and applied linguistics. A formal evaluation of students writing abilities is important for language teachers in order to assess the pedagogical needs of their students. While there has been a considerable body of work undertaken on assessing the writing abilities of native speakers, the issues surrounding the assessment of second language learners writing abilities are still emerging. At present, no one volume has explored these issues and their implications for language teaching practitioners wishing to evaluate their students writing. This book outlines in an accessible manner the major tenets of research in the field and provide language teachers with guidelines to design and develop suitable writing assessment tasks for their students.